INDIANAPOLIS — On Thursday, people who live and work at Oyo Hotel, located on Indianapolis' southwest side, were told they needed to leave.
Kathy Fugate, a resident and employee, didn't hold back.
"They don't give a f*** about people," Fugate said. "I'm really pissed off because we didn't have no knowledge of them doing this."
"I work here and I didn't know anything about it. So, it was just all of a sudden," Heather Melton, another employee and resident, said.
Fugate called WRTV mid-afternoon when in an effort to make people leave, the property owner cut off the electricity and water. With how hot it has been, no one could stay in the rooms under those conditions especially some of the most vulnerable.
"Kids, elderly, we have sick people here. This is the cheapest place we could find. Nobody has no place to go," Fugate said.
"When we told him, the property owner, what about the kids? I can't say what he said, but basically, forget the kids, but a different word," Melton said.
The Office of Public Health & Safety along with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department arrived to help the residents.
OPHS brought in an IndyGo Bus to serve as a cooling space for them. They also provided food as the situation was sorted out.
Crews arrived to turn the electricity and water back on.
Now, residents who decided to stay have a place to call home for at least the next several days. Under Indiana law, a property owner must give at least a 30-day notice if the tenant is on a month-to-month lease. WRTV is told that's the case for many residents at Oyo Hotel.
WRTV has reached out to the old and new property owners to see how they're going to handle the situation moving forward. We have not heard back from either as this article was published.
-
Deadly crash shuts down I-69 in Noblesville; Northbound reopens
A deadly crash involving a tanker explosion shut down both directions of Interstate 69 Wednesday morning near Noblesville.
From Carmel to the Peach Bowl: One IU fan’s 10-year, 119-game streak
Hawkins is far from a casual supporter. Over the past decade, he has attended 119 consecutive IU football games, a streak that spans more than 10 years.
Faith community encourages members to get involved in Streets to Home Indy
Streets to Home Indy is in its first phase, which is focused on the highest-risk population. The goal is to house between 300 to 350 individuals currently facing homelessness by this summer.
Martin University Board of Trustees moves to liquidate assets
A representative from Martin University has told WRTV that the board has chosen to liquidate some of its assets, facing uncertainty about the school's future.
